Car coupler

ABSTRACT

A railway car coupler of the knuckle type in which improved fulcruming of the lock member during manual actuation of the uncoupling mechanism to unlock and open the knuckle is provided to reduce the frictional drag between the lock and the coupler head. The lock member is provided with a fulcrum lug of a configuration which assures that the lock will fulcrum about the lug without frictional engagement occurring between the adjacent portions of the lock and the coupler head during unlocking and opening of the knuckle.

United States Patent Metzger [54] CAR COUPLER [72] Inventor: William J. Metzger, East Cleveland,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: May2l, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 145,710

[52] US. Cl ..213/146, 213/127 [51] Int. Cl ..B6lg 3/08 [58] Field of Search ..2l3/l20,l21, 127,129,146

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,695,714 11/1954 Kaylen, ..213/146 Metzger ..213/146 Cope ..213/146 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-l-lenry Kozak and Woodrow W. Portz 5 7] ABSTRACT A railway car coupler of the knuckle type in which improved fulcrumi'ng of the lock member during manual actuation of the uncoupling mechanism to unlock and open the knuckle is provided to reduce the frictional drag between the lock and the coupler head. The lock member is provided with a fulcrum lug of a configura tion which assures that the lock will fulcrum about the lug without frictional engagement occurring between the adjacent portions of the lock and the coupler head during unlocking and opening of the knuckle.

8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEBUBT 17 I972 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. WILLIJMIMFTZGER BY 2 Z Z #TTO/E/VEV PATENTEDucI 17 I972 SHEET 2 OF 2 Q4 NW,

FIG.8

FIG.7

FIG.6

11v VENTOR. WILLIAMIMETZGEK CAR COUPLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the standard couplers presently in use in the United States, such as the AAR Type F Interlocking coupler, frictional drag between the lock and the coupler body as the lock fulcrums during the knuckle opening operation has, under certain conditions, made manual opening of the knuckle difficult, if not impossible. Thus a trainman attempting to open a closed knuckle by means of the usual uncoupling rod handle is at times unable to do so because the frictional resistance is such as to prevent the degree of lock fulcruming needed to effect full knuckle opening. The US. Pat. No. 3,168,202 to G. W. Cope, issued Feb. 2, 1965, discloses a solution to this problem. It involves cutting back of the surfaces which cause the frictional drag between the lock and the coupler head as it fulcrums during the knuckle opening operation. Applicant, on the other hand, avoids the frictional drag by modifying the contour of the fulcrum lug of the lock and thereby obtains the benefits of the improvement in existing couplers merely by replacement of the lock with one having the new contour.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises the provision of a modified fulcrum lug on the lock of a knuckle type car coupler which prevents frictional drag betweenthe lock body and the coupler head during actuation of the uncoupling rod to open the knuckle. The forward side of the fulcrum lug is extended forwardly and is provided with a rounded or convex face whose forward extent is such that, as the lock is initially raised into engagement with a fulcrum shoulder in the coupler head during the knuckle opening operation, this face engages a substantially vertical front wall in the couplerhead extending downwardly from the fulcrum shoulder. This engagement of the convex face with the front wall assures that the forward face of the lock body that is adjacent the fulcrum lug will be disposed so as to be spaced from the opposing face on the fulcrum shoulder in the coupler head. Thus, when the fulcrum lug moves into engagement with the underside of the fulcrum'shoulder and the lock fulcrums relative to the lug, the aforementioned frictional drag is avoided. The lock is preferably further modified by the addition of metal to its forward top edge to assure that, during the final stages of the knuckle opening operation, the top edge will engage the top wall of the coupler head and further fulcruming of the lock will shift from the fulcrum lug to the top edge.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the invention to provide in a'knuckle type car coupler a lock having a fulcrum lug of modified contour whereby frictional drag between the lock head and the coupler head is avoided during fulcruming of the lock upon actuation of the uncoupling mechanism to open the knuckle. Another object is to provide a lock with a fulcrum lug having a rounded contour which makes two-point contact with the confronting surfaces in the coupler head whereby smooth fulcruming of the lock is achieved during actuation of the lock to open the knuckle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a car coupler having a lock embodying the invention, the knuckle being shown in closed position and locked.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the lock in lock-set position.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the lock shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the lock shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a coupler showing the lock of FIG. 4 in elevated position, with its fulcrum lug in engagement with the front wall and the fulcrum shoulder in the coupler head.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the modified lock in another position.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the modified lock in position corresponding to the fully opened position of the knuckle.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view corresponding to FIG. 6 but showing. an unmodified lock.

FIG. 10 shows the lock of FIG. 9 in another position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, there is shown for purposes of illustration an AAR Type F Interlocking coupler to which the invention has been applied. The coupler has a head 10 to which a pivotal knuckle 12 is attached by a pin 14, the knuckle being in its closed position in FIG. 1. Head 10 has a lock receiving chamber 16 for lock 18. Chamber 16 is bounded by a transverse front wall 54'and top wall 56. The knuckle has a tail 12a which extends into chamber 16 when the knuckle is in closed position, the knuckle being lockedin closed position by lock 18 which has a body portion 20 disposed adjacent the tail as shown in FIG. 1. The lock has a depending leg 22 which at its lower end is operatively connected to a lock lifter toggle 24 by'means of a trunnion 26 integral with the toggle and received in slot 220 in the leg. The lower end of toggle 24 is pivotally connected to a forward arm 30a of a rotor lever 30 by a pin 32. The rotor lever has a rearward arm 30b having a slotted end 300 by means of which the lever is affixed to a rotor shaft 34 which is pivotally mounted in the lower side of head 10. At leastone end of rotor 34 is connected to the usual uncoupling rod (not shown) by means of which the knuckle 12 is unlocked and opened in a manner well known in the art. In brief, actuation of the uncoupling rod causes clockwise rotation of rotor lever 30 which through toggle 24 effects lifting of lock 18 out of locking relation with knuckle tail 12a. During the lifting of the lock, its leg 22 is caused to swing rearwardly against an arm 36 of a knuckle thrower, causing another arm (not shown) of the thrower to act against tail 12a to swing the knuckle to open position. In the knuckle opening process, the lock leg swings rearwardly as the lock body 20 fulcrums through engagement of its fulcrum lug 20a with shoulder 40, as will be hereinafter explained.

In FIG. 2, the lock 18 is shown raised out of locking relationship with the knuckle tail 12a and is in what is commonly known as lock-set position, in which the lock is supported on thrower arm 36 by means of shoulder 22b on the rearward side of the lock leg. The lock is placed in lock-set position whenever it is desired to unlock the knuckle of one of two coupled couplers prior to an uncoupling operation. The lock-set position is attained through actuation of the uncoupling rod (not shown) in the usual manner. It will be noted that the lock tilts forwardly a small amount, with its vertical face 20b resting against vertical abutment 38 as at y in the coupler head. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, face 20b extends laterally on either side of sloped face 20c, the latter being of the same width as lug 20a and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the lug to the forward upper edge 20d of the lock. It is to be'noted that face 20c is tilted relative to face 20b and is disposed forwardly of face 20b a maximum amount where it joins lug 20a. v

Referring to FIG. 9 in which the fulcrum lug 50 of the present lock of the Type F Interlocking coupler is shown in engagement with the fulcrum shoulder 40 extending rearwardly from wall 54, it will be observed that contact occurs at a between the fulcrum lug and the underside of the shoulder and at b between the forward face 200 of the lock and the rear surface 40a of the shoulder. The position shown corresponds to that which the lock assumes as it begins to fulcrum during the knuckle opening operation, wherein as the rotor lever 30 is rotated clockwise when viewing the coupler as in FIG. 1, toggle 24 raises the lock to the FIG. 9 position, and lock leg 22 swings rearwardly against knuckle thrower arm 36. It will be observed that, as the lock fulcrums about lug 50, frictional resistance will develop at a and b as lock body swings counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow x. FIG. 10 shows the position of the lock of FIG. 9 after further fulcruming of the lock has occurred. It will be seen that lug 50 has moved rearwardly along the underside of shoulder but the engagement continues as at a and b between the lock and shoulder 40. The frictional resistance thus created between lug 50 and shoulder 40 may not be sufficient to interfere substantially with fulcrumingof the lock in a new coupler or one in which manufacturing tolerances create no problem of proper engagement and cooperation between the lock and the coupler head. However, as wear occurs, especially in couplers where dimensional tolerances aggravate the condition, appreciable frictional drag generated particularly because of the contact at b,b' may render full knuckle opening difficult, if not impossible.

Referring now in particular to FIGS. 4 to 8, there is shown a coupler lock incorporating a fulcrum lug 20a of improved contour whereby unimpeded fulcruming of the lock during the knuckle opening operation is attained. The lock is in substantially all other respects identical with the existing lock of the Type F Interlocking coupler. The fulcrum lug is modified on its forward side by the provision of a cylindrical contour the existing fulcrum lug which is curved along a 5/16 inch radius. The forward face also now extends forwardly of vertical face 20b a distance of 1 29/64 inch. Face' 20b is spaced 1 inch forwardly of vertical construction line V, which spacing is identical with that in the existing lock. The lower side of the face formed along the 37/64 inch radius is joined by a tangent straight line which extends to the underside of the lug as it presently exists, as shown in FIG. 4. The new bulbous forward face extends the full width of the lug as seen in FIG. 5.

An important function of the new contour is to assure that the forward face 200 of the lock remains free and clear of the rearward surface 40a of the fulcrum shoulder 40 when the fulcrum lug 20a engages the underside of the shoulder. It will be noted in FIG. 6 that fulcrum lug 20a has its new forward face in contact with rearward surface 52 of transverse wall 54 of the coupler head'as at d. Also, the upper rounded surface of lug 20a is in contact with the underside of shoulder 40 as ate. Thus, the configuration of lug 20a is such as to assure a substantial clearance as at f when lug 20a makes initial contact with the fulcrum shoulder during actuation of the lock to open the knuckle. Also, the new forward face presents a cylindrical surface in engagement at points d and e to assure smooth fulcruming of the lock, unimpeded by frictional resistance such as exists between the surface 40a and the lock in the present F Interlocking coupler, as previously set forth in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10. New lug 20a in effect is journalled at points d and e in the coupler head during the initial phase of the lock fulcruming operation as the lock is actuated to open the knuckle.

As the lock continues to fulcrum about lug 20a, the upper forward edge 20d of the lock is brought into engagement with the underside of top wall 56 of the coupler head, as at g in FIG. 7. Thereafter further fulcruming of the lock occurs between edge 20d and wall 56. Since edge 20d is disposed rearwardly of lug 20a, the latter swings downwardly and rearwardly out of engagement with shoulder 40 and surface 52. In FIG. 7 the lock is shown in position after predetermined fulcruming about edge 20d has occurred. The lock continues to fulcrum about edge 20d until the knuckle is completely open, FIG. 8 showing the corresponding position of the lock. It will be understood that at no time during the aforementioned fulcruming of the lock does engagement ever occur between surface 40a and face 20c.

In order to assure that the upper edge 20d of the lock will under all conditions engage top wall 56 of the coupler head after predetermined fulcruming about lug 20a, the height of the lock body 20 has been increased. This addition is indicated by the shaded area in FIG. 4. Specifically the rounded edge 20d of the existing lock has been increased by 3/32 inch in height over the existing lock and is now 3 3/ 16 inches above reference line H. This raised edge is joined to the adjacent top surface of the lock by a straight line tangent at one end to the rounded edge and tangent at its other to the curved rearward top portion. While the additional height of the lock top edge is unnecessary if manufacturing tolerances are maintained, it does assure that even when the height of the top wall 56 exceeds the specified dimensional tolerance, the top edge 20d will engage top wall 56 during the later phase of the lock fulcruming as the knuckle is being opened.

Iclaim:

1. A railway car coupler having a head, a knuckle pivoted to said head and having a closed position and an open position, said head having a lock receiving chamber, a lock in said chamber for locking said knuckle in closed position, a knuckle thrower in said head, said lock being movable out of locking position to actuate said thrower to effect opening of said knuckle, said head having a front wall and a top wall bounding said chamber, a fulcrum shoulder extending rearwardly from said front wall, said lock having a body portion, a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from the lower end of said body portion and being engageable with said shoulder to enable said lock to fulcrum during actuation of the lock to open the knuckle, said lug having a convex front face merging with a curved upper surface thereon, said convex face during said actuation of the lock being adapted to engage said front wall as said upper surface on the lug moves into contact with the underside of said shoulder and said body portion having a front face portion in confronting relation with the rearward surface of said shoulder, said convex face being disposed forwardly of said front face portion an amount such that when said convex face is in engagement with said front wall, said front face portion is spaced rearwardly of the rearward surface of said shoulder so that during fulcruming of the lock about said shoulder said front face portion does not engage said rearward surface.

2. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which said convex front face of the fulcrum lug is cylindrically curved and extends the full width of the lug.

3. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which said convex front face engages said front wall at a point approximately midway between its upper and lower extremities when said upper surface on said lug is in engagement with the underside of said shoulder.

4. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which after a predetermined amount of fulcruming of said lock about said shoulder, the top forward edge of said lock body portion engages said top wall of the head and thereafter further fulcruming of the lock during the balance of the knuckle opening operation occurs closed position to an open position, and a lock in said camber for locking said knuckle closed and adapted upon movement out of locking position to fulcrum in said head to effect opening of the knuckle, said head having a front wall at the forward side of said chamber and a fulcrum shoulder extending rearwardly from said wall, the improvement comprising a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from said lock, said lug having a convex front face and a convex top face, said convex top face on its rearward side merging with an upwardly extending lock face of the same width as said lug, said lug upon movement of the lock out of locking position during the knuckle opening operation being adapted to be journalled in said head whereby said front face bears against said wall and said top face bears against the underside of said shoulder, said front face being spaced forw rdly of said lock face a distance such that when said ug IS in said ournalled engagement with sald wall and shoulder, said lock face is spaced from the confronting end of said shoulder during fulcruming of the lock.

6. A coupler in accordance with claim 5 in which the distance from the point of engagement between said front face and said wall to said lock face being greater than the distance from said point of engagement to said end of said shoulder.

7. A lock for a railway car coupler of the knuckle type, said lock comprising an upper body portion and a lower leg portion, said body portion having a vertical front face and a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from the lower end of said face, said lug having a convex front face merged with a convex top face for journalling said lug in the coupler head upon actuation of the lock during a knuckle opening operation, said convex top face merging adjacent said front face with an upwardly and rearwardly sloping face of the same width as said lug, the forwardmost extremity of said convex front face being disposed approximately 1 29/64 inch from said vertical face.

8. A lock for a railway car coupler in accordance with claim 7 in which the convex front face of said lug is curved along a radius of about 37/64 inch. 

1. A railway car coupler having a head, a knuckle pivoted to said head and having a closed position and an open position, said head having a lock receiving chamber, a lock in said chamber for locking said knuckle in closed position, a knuckle thrower in said head, said lock being movable out of locking position to actuate said thrower to effect opening of said knuckle, said head having a front wall and a top wall bounding said chamber, a fulcrum shoulder extending rearwardly from said front wall, said lock having a body portion, a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from the lower end of said body portion and being engageable with said shoulder to enable said lock to fulcrum during actuation of the lock to open the knuckle, said lug having a convex front face merging with a curved upper surface thereon, said convex face during said actuation of the lock being adapted to engage said front wall as said upper surface on the lug moves into contact with the underside of said shoulder and said body portion having a front face portion in confronting relation with the rearward surface of said shoulder, said convex face being disposed forwardly of said front face portion an amount such that when said convex face is in engagement with said front wall, said front face portion is spaced rearwardly of thE rearward surface of said shoulder so that during fulcruming of the lock about said shoulder said front face portion does not engage said rearward surface.
 2. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which said convex front face of the fulcrum lug is cylindrically curved and extends the full width of the lug.
 3. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which said convex front face engages said front wall at a point approximately midway between its upper and lower extremities when said upper surface on said lug is in engagement with the underside of said shoulder.
 4. A coupler in accordance with claim 1 in which after a predetermined amount of fulcruming of said lock about said shoulder, the top forward edge of said lock body portion engages said top wall of the head and thereafter further fulcruming of the lock during the balance of the knuckle opening operation occurs between said edge and top wall.
 5. In a railway car coupler of the type having a head, a knuckle pivoted to the head and movable from a closed position to an open position, and a lock in said camber for locking said knuckle closed and adapted upon movement out of locking position to fulcrum in said head to effect opening of the knuckle, said head having a front wall at the forward side of said chamber and a fulcrum shoulder extending rearwardly from said wall, the improvement comprising a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from said lock, said lug having a convex front face and a convex top face, said convex top face on its rearward side merging with an upwardly extending lock face of the same width as said lug, said lug upon movement of the lock out of locking position during the knuckle opening operation being adapted to be journalled in said head whereby said front face bears against said wall and said top face bears against the underside of said shoulder, said front face being spaced forwardly of said lock face a distance such that when said lug is in said journalled engagement with said wall and shoulder, said lock face is spaced from the confronting end of said shoulder during fulcruming of the lock.
 6. A coupler in accordance with claim 5 in which the distance from the point of engagement between said front face and said wall to said lock face being greater than the distance from said point of engagement to said end of said shoulder.
 7. A lock for a railway car coupler of the knuckle type, said lock comprising an upper body portion and a lower leg portion, said body portion having a vertical front face and a fulcrum lug extending forwardly from the lower end of said face, said lug having a convex front face merged with a convex top face for journalling said lug in the coupler head upon actuation of the lock during a knuckle opening operation, said convex top face merging adjacent said front face with an upwardly and rearwardly sloping face of the same width as said lug, the forwardmost extremity of said convex front face being disposed approximately 1 29/64 inches from said vertical face.
 8. A lock for a railway car coupler in accordance with claim 7 in which the convex front face of said lug is curved along a radius of about 37/64 inch. 